The pace and power of Barry Hayles proved too hot to handle for Watford as Fulham underlined their Premier League credentials by hitting the Hornets for five this afternoon – with Hayles hammering a hat-trick on a day that will live long in the memory of the Craven Cottage faithful.
Graham Taylor cut a forlorn figure on the touchline as Watford wilted under Fulham’s relentless bombardment. The former England manager suggested that Jean Tigana’s outfit didn’t contain as much quality as their early season success hinted at earlier in the season, but was left eating his words as the visitors’ own promotion push continued to slide towards the buffers. This was earmarked as a title decider by Sky a couple of months ago but the Hornets’ form has fallen off a cliff in the last eight weeks.
Instead, the television cameras covered a precession. Hayles ran the Watford defence ragged all afternoon – winning the thirtieth minute penalty that saw Louis Saha stroke Fulham into a deserved lead when he was bundled over by a desperate Darren Ward. It seems strange to say that Saha was overshadowed after scoring his 21st goal of a sensational season, but Hayles – whose ability to translate his lower league goalscoring to higher level football has always been questioned – took centre stage after that.
He was denied brilliantly by a brave Espen Baardsen after accelerating away from two Watford defenders but grabbed his first of the afternoon three minutes before the break. Taylor will have not enjoyed watching the shambolic defending that allowed an in-form Hayles the easiest of tap-ins from a couple of yards out after Watford were caught sleeping from Fabrice Fernandes’ corner. Lee Clark laid on a second for Hayles with a clever cut back ten minutes after the interval and the ferocious forward then headed in a Bjarne Goldbaek free-kick to complete his first Fulham hat-trick fifteen minutes from time.
Substitute Andrejs Stolcers completed the rout after more magnificent approach play from the marauding Clark, who looks destined to earn a third Division One winners’ medal having already been promoted to the top flight with Newcastle United and Sunderland. Watford’s resistance was muted after a tenth minute header from Heidar Helguson had been smuggled to safety by Maik Taylor, with Carlton Palmer and Paolo Vernazza having debuts to forget in the visiting midfield.
The away side did fashion some chances once the game was long gone with Tommy Mooney drilling an effort at Taylor after escaping the attentions of Chris Coleman and former Tottenham midfielder Allan Nielsen somehow shot wide of goal when it appeared easier to score. Taylor did parry a late effort from Smith at point-blank range, but Watford’s late show of strength proved purely academic. Fulham’s 19th win from 24 league games was every inch a Boxing Day massacre.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Brevett, Melville (Symons 77), Coleman; Davis, Clark, Goldbaek, Fernandes (Stolcers 62); Saha (Boa Morte 72), Hayles. Subs (not used): Hahnemann, Sahnoun.
BOOKED: Fernandes, Davis.
GOALS: Saha (pen 30), Hayles (42, 55, 74), Stolcers (77).
WATFORD (4-4-2): Baardsen; Cox (Noel-Williams 71), S. Palmer, Ward, Robinson; Hyde (Smith 72), C. Palmer, Nielsen, Vernazza; Helguson, Mooney. Subs (not used): Chamberlain, Kennedy, Panayi.
BOOKED: Ward, Robinson, Mooney, Vernazza.
REFEREE: Mick Fletcher (Warley).
ATTENDANCE: 19,373.
